Arriving into Ponta Delgada at 6am from Boston was tiring, but after a few espresso shots we were ready for the day. We started off with a lecture at The University of the Azores, the professors educated us on nature and the differences of native and non-native flora and plant species. I found it fascinating that many non-native plants grew better in Azores than in their home countries. After a brief lunch break which included a delicious chunk of honeycomb, we went to a Second lecture to discuss the Architecture of Ponta Delgada. What started as a conversation in the classroom turned into a tour of the city. What I appreciated most from our conversation was the concern of preserving Ponta Delgada’s original architecture as the demand from tourism increases.

The next day, we were up early and in the lecture room of the military base/museum. We were presented with a lecture on photography and given an activity which included choosing one picture from a group and going through an in depth process to give the photo a description. I enjoyed this activity a lot because it was thought provoking and made me look at the photo from many perspectives. From there, we checked out all the memorabilia and architecture within in the museum then took a bus to the thermal springs. I was truly amazed by the thermal springs and botanical gardens, to witness all the heat coming from the ground and warming the sand and water is truly astounding.